The broadcasting industry includes broadcasting stations/networks that produce content or through other means acquire the right to broadcast television programs from various medias, such as video tape, digital video discs, and the like. Typically, through the use of satellite signals, this content is transmitted as specific channels to various primary receivers, such as local stations, cable systems, and other single or multichannel video programming distributors, including Multiple-Systems Operators (“MSO's”), such as COMCAST, ADELPHIA, TIME-WARNER, etc. From these primary receivers, the broadcast signal is re-transmitted/re-broadcast to secondary receivers, such as individual consumers (i.e., cable subscribers) with television antennas or receivers.
Television signals include the video and audio components of a channel or channels that contain programming content (e.g., TV shows). The signals are transmitted to primary receivers and then re-transmitted to secondary receivers and appear to display fully integrated moving pictures with sound. The television signal can also transmit auxiliary metadata in addition to the video and audio, such as (by way of non-limiting example) specific identifiers for the broadcasting station or local station/cable provider (such as the network name and/or call letters), the title for the particular program content being transmitted or re-transmitted, video fingerprints and/or watermarks, VChip data including parental content advisories, ATVEF triggers for interactive television programming, closed captioning data, teletext, and various other indicators and/or data as may be contemplated by those of ordinary skill in the art. For domestic NTSC television signals, this metadata is often encoded on video line 21 in accordance with the EIA 608 specification.
Various indicators/identifiers/markers have been used for signal monitoring to identify the programming content within a transmitted signal. For instance, watermarks (e.g., visible, audible or hidden code) may be inserted into the video data that is later filtered out as a signal marker by a monitoring system. The watermark may be used to identify the source of particular video content and/or the nature of the content itself. This facilitates confirmation of the broadcast to ensure that the signal sent was received intact at the remote end.
Watermarks and other signal monitoring tools may be helpful, for example, inc confirming compliance with Federal regulations, such as those promulgated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). For instance, the FCC investigates complaints presented by consumers. These complaints may involve a range of issues, such as missing closed captioning, inaccurate program ratings, content deemed indecent, and so on. To investigate such complaints, the FCC may try to obtain a copy of the video. If the consumer cannot provide the video, the FCC may contact the local primary receiver and/or broadcast network. Upon obtaining a copy of the video, the FCC makes a determination regarding the content of the video and attempts to identify the offending producer and broadcaster for possible sanctioning. Watermarks and other embedded metadata within the signal may allow the FCC, broadcasting station(s), and other entities to identify the owner or producer of the video program and who transmitted and/or re-transmitted the program.
Typically, watermarks are inserted into the video data prior to the distribution of the signal. Unfortunately, it may be the case that the inclusion of various indicators, such as a watermark, within a television signal may require the expenditure of resources (i.e., time and money) for their creation and implementation within the signal. Such expenditures, such as monies and/or space within the transmission signal for the indicator, may become onerous for the party tasked with creating and implementing them (typically the content provider). The utilization of space within the available video data by a watermark may modify the video signal, something most broadcasters may not want to occur. Still further, if every transmitted signal must contain some form of indicator, the costs may rapidly escalate. The overall process can be very expensive and time consuming.
In fact, the costs of including the watermark indicators may be prohibitive. Further, there may be signals that are transmitted without such an identifier in place or the signal may contain an unrecognizable identifier. Such situations may provide a signal that is not able to be effectively monitored by the broadcasting station. This inability to monitor a broadcast signal may impact the promotional capabilities to advertisers and syndicators and possibly expose the broadcasting station to FCC sanctions for rules violation.
Many video distributors or MSO's may prefer if certain information was not able to be verified through the use of watermarks or other indicators/identifiers/marks. It is common for MSO's agreements with broadcasting stations/networks not to allow a watermark to be inserted without prior knowledge and a commercially available method for removing the mark. As MSO's could extract additional income by, for instance, replacing certain content intended for distribution with other content (such as local advertising, or simply alternate video content), an MSO may have a direct interest in removing or damaging watermarks if possible, thus circumventing the watermark process and rendering it worthless. This has, unfortunately, been the practice of some primary receivers/re-transmitters (local stations or cable providers). These primary receivers may transmit their own programming content to consumers, which the broadcasting stations have not produced or authorized transmission of. Such programming content may violate federal regulations, and for enforcement/sanctions purposes, the FCC may assume that the broadcast station(s) is liable. In order to defend against the FCC, the broadcasting station(s) will draw attention to the absence of their watermark(s) in the offending video. However, as previously mentioned, this may not be possible because MSO's can strip the watermarks from all the content per their agreements so that the missing watermark is not exculpatory.
Moreover, in the broadcasting industry, revenue for the content providers (i.e., broadcasting stations) may be typically generated through: (1) sale of advertising time within programming content; or (2) syndication of programming content. Thus, broadcasters may generate revenue by broadcasting specific content in specific geographic regions at specific times, and selling advertising time in those broadcasts to third party advertisers, and syndicated programs to local primary receivers (e.g., local television stations or cable systems). Unfortunately, ensuring that such content (i.e., program content and advertising content) is being broadcast as intended has been problematic. Efforts to monitor the broadcasting of content have either not been made or have tasked consumers with recording programming at specified times and then asked the consumers to then forward the recording to a third party. The third party compares the broadcast with a printed “playlist” of what the broadcaster intended and contracted to be broadcast. The procedure requires much manual activity and is very vulnerable to human error. Further, the process often takes weeks to complete, thereby not allowing for real-time monitoring.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a system and method through which the signal transmitted by broadcasting stations may be monitored in real-time to ensure that it is being re-broadcast to and in particular received by consumers. Further, it would be desirable to provide a system and method capable of monitoring in real-time a broadcast signal without a particular identifier, such as a watermark. It would be desirable to provide a broadcast signal capable of monitoring that does not require modification (i.e., inclusion of a watermark) prior to broadcast.
It would also be desirable to provide real-time monitoring of broadcast signals in various geographically disparate regions regardless of content being broadcast. It would be further desirable to provide real-time monitoring of broadcast signals to promote increased enforcement capabilities by the broadcasting station(s) against primary receivers who are failing to honor their contractual obligations by substituting their own content. It would still be further desirable to provide real-time monitoring of broadcast signals that promotes compliance with agreements made with third parties, such as MSO's.